When the news broke last month that Philadelphia’s poverty rate was stuck for another year at 25.7 percent, still the highest of America’s 10 largest cities, the collective response was one of frustration. Despite Philly’s many cross-sector collaborations, local government efforts and discussions — prepare yourself for this shocker — ending poverty isn’t easy, which is why it hasn’t happened yet….
The annual awards ceremony and celebration, hosted by the sustainable lifestyle blog Green Philly, includes environmentally and locally-conscious award categories such as “Climate Hero” and “Neighborhood Champion.” According to the SustainPHL organizers, the Activist of the Year honor serves to recognize a community leader who has demonstrated dedication to a sustainability cause through “increasing visibility…
Gentrification can be a scary word, and one often heard in Philadelphia. While neighborhood development projects often purport to benefit the communities where they’re taking place, the appearance of doing good doesn’t always equal the desired effect. Longtime residents can feel left out of these sometimes-huge projects concerning their neighborhoods when they don’t have much input into whatever is planned.
The neighborhood is called Hunting Park, evoking images of green lawns and shady boughs. But the North Philadelphia community has one of the lowest percentages of tree canopy in the city, making it one of the hottest places to live and contributing to childhood asthma and other health issues.
It was a big celebration of Latin culture as the Puerto Rican Day Parade took over the Ben Franklin Parkway Sunday. The traditional festival of Puerto Rican pride featured plenty of dancers, marching bands and more.
With a good meal, guiding questions, and diverse, small discussion groups, On the Table Philly, set to take place Nov. 8, is seeking to shift the narrative on civic dialogue at the local and national levels.
One day last year, Pedro Ramos ate seven meals in a matter of hours. It didn’t matter what was served, the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation recalled Thursday. What mattered were the conversations with strangers taking place throughout the city at more than 300 locations, where people discussed issues that matter most to them. Now he’s…
There hasn’t been a better time to be involved in Philly’s housing and commercial development scene in centuries. It’s no secret this city is experiencing a boom. But how did we get here? And who’s thinking about the future? In this installment of Billy Penn’s Who’s Next series, which has spotlighted more than 500 up-and-coming leaders in various industries…
Just over a year after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Philadelphia raised Puerto Rico’s flag at City Hall today to kick off a week of festivities celebrating the Puerto Rican community and its contributions to the city. Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sanchez and U.S. Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania’s 13th District all spoke at…
Through Esperanza, Rev. Luís Cortés has advocated for Latinos in Philadelphia for more than 30 years, spearheading initiatives to educate and empower the community. Now, as Philadelphia rapidly gentrifies, he’s concerned that Latinos have been left out of the equation. If there is one true thing you can say about Rev. Luis Cortés, he’s a…
